The New Year is upon us. Do you have a New Yearís Resolution? Well, if youíre like most Americans (88 percent in 2001 according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution. And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55 percent promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and 38 percent wanted to lose weight.

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, itís easy to get caught up in it without really taking them seriously.

Set yourself up for success

We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, Iím afraid, are not immune. However, when it comes to promises that include improving our health, itís in our best interest not to take them lightly.

So, whatís the secret to successful resolutions? While you canít wave a magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.

Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but promising to include daily physical activity in our lives is very possible.
Avoid choosing a resolution that youíve been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up for failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to make a promise that youíve made before, then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise.
Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan that describes their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own personal plan and youíll be more likely to succeed as well.
Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then, even if you arenít able to reach your final goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best completion time.
Ask friends and family members to help you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this doesnít backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you when you start talking negatively.
Reward yourself with each milestone. If youíve stuck with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your reward type. If youíve lost 5 pounds, donít give yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to something non-food related, like a professional massage.
Donít go it alone! Get professional assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isnít enough. Sometimes you need the help of a trained professional. Donít feel that seeking help is a way of copping out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves peopleís success rate.
Limit your number of promises. Youíll spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes at the same time. This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions.

On average only about 20% of us keep our New Yearís resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But donít let the statistics get you down. By following the tips above youíll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20% category.

~ Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a free sample workout. Fitness professionals take your business online, visit: http://www.trainerforce.com